iPod Video thoughts and ideas

Throughout the day and over the last couple of months, I have seen many people talking about the future of the iPod and everybody is saying iPod video. So today I got to thinking about that product and the possible implications it will have on the media market. Here is what I came up with:

Short Term: (first version) None. I don’t believe it will go past a fad product in its first incarnation. This is for multiple reasons. First, the screen is just too small. I think that flaw is always going to be one of the major limitations of any product such as this. There is too much detail in video and I just don’t think TV or Film can be adjusted to something that size. Secondly, I think there are going to be file size issues. I mean a three or four-minute music video is one thing, but I am sure, if it works at all, the news networks are going to jump on the video bandwagon. Then when you’re talking about content like that, people are going to want longer programming. People are going to want something they can watch for the whole commute. This is where I see the file size issues. I also think one of the big things with the whole iPod music craze is people can do other things while they’re listening to the newest music, podcast, etc. You can’t do that with video. Well you can, but then what’s the point of having video.

Long Term: I think the iPod video, or similar such products, will be one of the pieces of the new media puzzle. You need to give it WiFi, VOD (through the iPod, not the computer), a larger screen (maybe flip the screen on its side and make it as wide as the current iPod is high), and of course more storage. Or the storage question could be answered if we could only come up with a better video compression algorithm (but that is neither here nor there).

I think the product I hypothesize here would be useful, but I think the iPod is going to need to do more to become a standard in the fashion I believe they want. I think it is going to need to pretty much combined with the current set of PDA’s. Apple has tried the PDA before…remember the Newton. I say they need to try it again. They need to try a converged iPod/PDA. Now that would be revolutionary. The WiFi and the VOD that will all come in due time, but a functional iPod/PDA that could be done now. So I say we stop pushing for an iPod video and start pushing for an iPoDa (iPod or iPda), as I am terming it.

This blog is meant to inspire comment and debate, so feel free to tell me I’m wrong and what your better idea is. You can also feel free to tell me I am right and that I’m the greatest person ever.